Automatic sliding-door latch.



C. A. KBEL. AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR LATCH.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 6, 1912.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@ijll L J COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM Cu.,wAsHlNuToN, D. c.

O. A. KEEL.

AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1912. 1,057,438.- Paaented Apr. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsH|NoToN. D. C.

FFIC.

CHARLES A. REEL, OF HAMLIN, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC SLIDING-DOOR LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

Application filed January 6, 1912. Serial No. 669,810.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Klint., citizen of the United States,residing at Hamlin, in the county of Brown and State of Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sliding-l DoorLatches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to latches and particularly to latches forsliding doors.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a catch which maybe released from either side of the door by the fingers of the operatorin attempting to slide the door and which will automatically engage akeeper upon the closing of the door.

A further object is the provision in a door latch of a rotatable catch,and means for yieldably holding said catch in an operative position andpositively holding it in its closed or locked position until the latchis manually actuated.

A further object is to provide, in connection with a rotatable catch, adetent of very simple construction which will accomplisli the endsreferred to in the preceding paragraph.

A further object is to so construct the latch that it may be formed ofvery few members, each member formed of a single piece of sheet metaland all of said members being readily and cheaply made and assembled.

A still further object is to produce a latch having no projectingportions liable to catch in clothing, but in which the operating partsare either housed or protected or else so formed as to have surfacesagainst which the clothing will not catch.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form'1 proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and t-he merits thereof,reference is to be had to the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved door latch mounted on asliding door; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the middle of thesame parallel to the face of the door; Fig. 3 is a horizontal crosssection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thedevice detached from the door; Fig. 5 shows the casing in process ofconstruction from a blank; Fig. o is a perspective view of the memberconstituting the detent and operating arms.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

For the purpose of illustration, the improved latch of this invention isshown as mounted upon a sliding door A adapted to close against a doorjamb B.

One member of the latch comprises a substantially cylindrical catch 1having a quarter sector omitted therefrom, the catch being journaled ina casing or mounting member 2 'which also constitutes a casing to thelocking means for the catch. This casing is preferably, though notnecessarily, constructed of sheet metal in the manner illustrated inFig. 5. The casing consists of a back 4L, the oppositely disposed ends 3and the oppositely disposed sides 7. Preferably the casing is formed ofan integral blank ofsheet metal bent to the form shown in Figs. 4L and 5in a manner which will be obvious to metal workers, the ends 3 beingbent at right angles to the back A, and the margins of the ends beingbent at right angles to provide marginal attaching flanges 5 havingcountersunk screw holes 6. The metal at the junction of the sides 7 andthe back 4 is returned upon itself and extends inward as at 8 so as toreinforce the back. The sides 7 are parallel to each other and at rightangles to the back 4 and thus the ends 3, the back t and the sides 7inclose on three sides a chamber 9 designed to contain a spring actuateddetent, as will be later described. The margin of each side 7 isoutwardly flared as at 7 a, and these outwardly flared margins 7 a withthe corresponding returned portions 8 form exterior depressions orrecesses 10, within which the detent operating arms 11 are designed tomove. It will be noticed that the rebent portions S of the back alsoconstitute stops to the arms 11 in their rearward movement, while theflared portions 7a constitute stops limiting the forward movement of thearms 11.

It will be noted that the sides 7 are cutaway to produce oppositelydisposed notches 12 adjacent to the junction of the reinforcement 8 ofthe back and the lower end member 19 and communicating with the chamber9, which constitute bearings for the pivoted detent 13 which ispreferably formed, as shown in Fig. 6, of a single piece of sheet metalhaving longitudinal slits 14 adapted to receive the sides 7. The arms11, thus exposed on each side of the casing, constitute means foroperating the detent. The lower portion of the detentis convex at 15 toconform to a spring and the upper terminal of the detent is bentoutwardly to form a lip 16 which is provided with a V- shaped recess 17,one wall of which is straight to form a tooth 17a radially disposed tothe catch 1 and adapted to engage the latter, the other wall of therecess being disposed tangentially to the curved face of the catch. f

Attention is directed to the integral construction of the detent 13 andthe arms 11, the three members being formed of one piece of metal havingits lower end rounded to form a fulcrum 13a, said detent being disposedout of the plane of the arms 11 to afford a seat for an angular leafspring 18, one leaf of which is curved and fits closely to the detent,the other leaf being straight and disposed in contact with the back 4.This spring is interposed between the detent and the back in the chamber9 and presses outwardly on the detent.

It will be noted that the sides 7, which inclose the chamber 9, divergeand flare outwardly at their outer margins '7lL and constitute stops tothe arms 11 in their forward movement before the catch 1 is mounted inplace. These flared portions further act as stops' to prevent excessiverotation of the catch 1.

In assembling the device the spring and detent are placed within thechamber 9 with the sides 7 disposed in the slits 14. The lower portion19 of the mounting member or casing 2 is then bent upwardly parallel tothe upper portion 3 and into engagement with the lower ends of the sides7, said sides being provided on each end with fastening lips 2O whichpass through the adjacent portions 3 and 19 and are bent over to securethe parts in this relation. The lower portion 19 now holds the detentand spring in place in the chamber 9 and also constitutes a bearing tothe rounded portion 13aN of the detent and the arms. The edges of thelower portion 19 are bent downwardly to form attaching flanges 5a,similar to the flanges 5, the flanges 5a being likewise provided withscrew holes 6.

The catch 1 is rotatably mounted between the portions 3 and 19, saidcatch being substantially cylindrical in form and preferably constructedof a single piece of sheet metal. rIhe catch is so shaped as to providea cylinder deprived of a quarter sector, thus producing a V-shapedrecess having reentrant walls.. Preferably in forming the catch, one endof a metal strip is rolled upon itself to produce a tubular bearing 21.The sheet then projects at a tangent to the bearing 21, and is bent backupon itself and beyond said bearing to form a diametrical wall 22. Afterthis, the metal is again bent back upon itself tothe center of thecylinder, then at a right angle to the previously described Vwall 22,thus forming V a wall 23 which is perpendicular to the wall 22, theexposed portion 22:L of which, in conjunction with the wall 23constitute reentrant walls defining a V-shaped recess. The sheet ofmetal is then curved to produce the periphery of the cylinder and theend of the sheet bent inwardly along the adjacent side of the wall 222Land secured thereto, preferably by rivets 24. The adjoining portions ofthe catch are secured together by solder or the like, and the devicepresents a neat appearance and is simple and extremely strong. Inmounting the catch between the portions 3 and 19, a bolt 25 is passedthrough the portion 3, the bearing 21 and the portion 19 and secured inthis position by the nut 26. Attention is directed to the .fact that thebearing 21 is eccentric to the circumference of the catch and disposedadjacent the junction of the wall 23 and the wall 22 of the recess.

Mounted on the door j amb B and opposite to the catch 1, is a keeper 27preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent to producespaced attaching leaves28 connected 'by a semicircular portion 29 whichis of slightly larger diameter than the catch 1 and is adapted toreceive the latter. One of the leaves and the adjacent side of thesemicircular portion 29 are extended and bent inwardly on the diameterof the semicircular portion, thus overlapping the recess in said portionand formof the recess of the catch. The terminal margin 31 of the lip 30is angularly disposed in advance of the lip so as to strike the catchfirst and cause the latter to rotate into engagement with the lip. Ifdesired, the portion 29 may be reinforced and strengthened by acorrespondingly shaped leaf 32 which is secured in place on the convexside of said portion.

In attaching the device to a door, a rectangular portion is removed fromthe edge thereof to permit the casing 2 to be slid into place andsecured by screw, bolts or the like which are passed through the screwholes 6. It will be noted that the casing comes flush with the face andedge of the door and presents a neat appearance. The catch, beingsecured to the. door on each side thereof, cannot be detached from thedoor when the latter is closed.

on each side thereof with the curved portion 29 projecting from the jambin a posi- The keeper 27 is secured to the door j amb ing a lip 30adapted to engage the wall 23 tion to engage the catch 1. The keepershould be placed as low as possible on the jamb so that if the door Ashould sag, because of being improperly hung, no interference with theinterengagement of the catch and keeper will result.

To illustrate the operation of the device, let us Erst assume that thedoor A is open. The tension of the spring 18 causes the recessed lip 16to bear against the catch 1 at two points. The catch being eccentricallymounted will be caused to rest in a position in which the wall 23 willbe in line to pass by the lip 30 of the keeper, since in any otherposition only one of the bearing points of the lip 1G will engage thecatch and thus a lateral pressure will be exerted on said catch whichwill tend to rotate it until the other' bearing point engages the catch,when it will come to rest. On sliding the door toward the amb, theterminal 31 strikes the wall 22 and causes the catch to rotate againstthe tension of the spring 18. This movement of the catch brings the wall23 behind the lip 30, swings the periphery of the catch into contactwith the curved portion .29 and finally brings the wall 22 to a positionwhere the detent snaps out and engages said wall and holds the parts inthis relation. To open the door, the fingers of the operator areinserted in the adjacent recess 1() and press against the operating arm11 mounted therein. This action overcomes the tension of the spring 1Sand shifts the detent out of engagement with the catch which permits thelatter to be rotated by the keeper as the door slides away therefrom.Upon the release of the arm 11, by the operator, the spring 18 againcauses the detent to assume its bearing upon the catch 1, which latter,for the reasons previously stated, assumes a position ready forreengagement with the keeper Q7. Should the catch 1 be accidentallyrotated while the door is open, the detent bearing on the catch willtend to prevent excessive rotation thereof and the flared portions 7will act as stops and finally interrupt the rotation of the catch ineither direction.

Attention is directed to the fact that this improved door latch comesflush with the door, there being no projecting parts to catch theclothes or interfere with passage through the door opening. If desired,the keeper may be mounted in a recess and thus offer no interference topassage thereby. This point is of great importance, since in many doorlatches, projecting catches and the like offer constant menace topersons passing through the door opening.

In constructing a sliding latch in accordance with this invention, asimple, durable and eflicient device,is produced which is free fromliability to break or get out of order, since the parts are allconstructed of sheet steel or the like. The device is neat in itsappearance, automatic in its action and selfadjustable. It may be usedon right and left doors and either single or double doors without anychanges in its construction and may be operated from either side of thedoor. Furthermore, the door is held tight against the building, as wellas close to the door jamb.

Although the improved latch has been described as preferably constructedof sheet metal, the invention is not necessarily limited to thismaterial, as the parts could be stamped, or cast and still be within thescope of the invention. Furthermore the catch 1 could be made from arolled or cast bar of metal of suflicient length to permit a number ofthe catches to be made therefor and thus materially decrease the cost ofproduction and simplify the manufacture of the article.

Having thus described and set forth the merits of the device, it ishereby claimed:

1. A door latch including a rotatable catch, a spring actuated detentyieldably holding the catch in engageable position, and a keeper adaptedto strike against the catch and rotate the latter into engagementtherewith and into locked engagement with the detent.

2. A door latch including an eccentrically mounted cylindrical catchhaving a recess, a spring actuated detent adapted to bear against thecatch and hold the catch with the recess in exposed position, and akeeper adapted to strike against one wall of the recess and rotate theother wall into engagement with said keeper.

A door latch including a catch having a recess, means bearing againstthe catch to hold the latter with the recess presented in one direction,and a keeper adapted to strike against one wall of the recess androt-ate the other said keeper.

1. A door latch including a rotatable catch having a recess formedtherein and provided with a bearing surface eccentric to the axis ofrotation of the catch, a spring depressed detent yieldably contactingwith said bearing surface to maintain the catch in engageable position,and a keeper adapted to strike against one wall of the recess and rotatesaid catch into detachable engagement with the detent and bring theother wall of the recess into engagement with the keeper.

5. A door latch including a rotatable catch, a mounting member havingspaced end portions constituting bearings for the catch, said memberbeing formed with spaced sides positioned between the end portions, thusproducing a chamber, a spring actuated detent mounted within the chamberand adapted to detachably engage the wall into engagement with catch, amounting member having spaced end portions constituting bearings for thecatch, said member being formed with spaced sides positioned between theend portions, each side forming a stop to the catch to prevent excessiverotation thereof, and a keeper designed to strike against the catch androtate the latter into engagement therewithf 7. A door latch embodying arotatable cylindrical catch, said catch being provided with a recesshaving rentrant walls, a bearing provided within said catch eccentric tothe periphery ther'eof, a pin passing through said bearing to mount thecatch, a detent yieldably bearing against the catch and tending tomaintain it with the recess thereof in exposed position, and a keeperadapted to strike against one wall of the recess and rotate the catch tobring t-he other wall of the recess into engagement with the keeper andcause the catch to be engaged by the detent.

S. The combination with a door and the jamb thereof, of a rotatablecatch mounted on the door, means yieldably engaging the catch to holdthe latter in engageable position, and a keeper secured to the jamb andadapted, when t-he door is moved into proximity thereto, to strikeagainst the catch and rotate the latter into engagement therewith andinto locked engagement with said means.

9. A door latch including a catch, a casing having spaced sidesinclosing a chamber,

said casing constituting a mounting member for t-he catch, acatch-engaging spring-actuated detent mounted in the chamber andprovided with longitudinal slits to receive the sides of t-he casing,the exterior parts of the detent thus producing operating arms, and akeeper adapted to strike against the catch and rotate the latter intoengagement with the detent.

10. A door latch including a rotatable catch, a mounting member carryingsaid catch and provided with sides inclosing a chamber, each side beingformed with an exterior recess, a detent mounted in the chamber andadapted to detachably engage the catch, operating arms disposed in theexterior recesses and connected with the detent, and a keeper adapted tostrike against the catch and rotate the latter into engagement therewithand into engagement with the detent.

l1. A door-latch including an eccentrically mounted ro-tatable catch, akeeper arranged to engage with the catch and rotate the same intolocking engagement therewith, and a detent for the catch normallyyieldably bearing against the same, at the portion thereof nearest theaxis of the catch whereby to hold the catch in position for engagementby the keeper, the said detent being arranged also for engagement withthe catch whereby to hold the same in locked engagement with the keeper.

In testimony whereof, l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

